The present invention is directed to a caster assembly for supporting an object and, more specifically, to a caster assembly including a caster, a caster housing, a mounting support for supporting an object and a pair of side support pieces mounted on the mounting support for providing lateral support to the object, at least one of the side support pieces being slideable for relative movement with respect to the mounting support such that the caster assembly can support objects having differing width.
Caster assemblies are used to support an object and facilitate easy movement of an object with respect to flat surfaces such as a floor. Examples of objects using caster assemblies include household appliances such as refrigerators, vacuums, food serving trays and carts, tool carts and cabinets, various items of furniture such chairs, sofas, bed frames and the like. Typically, three or more caster assemblies are used to support an object. The caster assemblies are normally positioned or mounted on the object near an outer peripheral edge of the object to provide a wide, stable base of support. A wide base of support reduces the propensity for the object to tip over during movement of the object across a floor. This is especially important for objects having a relatively high vertical center of gravity.
Certain objects to be supported on caster assemblies are characterized by a relatively narrow outer peripheral edge. For supporting such an object it is desirable to include support pieces that would bear against opposite side surfaces of the object for greater stability. What is needed is a caster assembly that provides for side support pieces to bear against opposite side surfaces of an object being supported by the caster assembly for greater stability. What is also needed is a caster assembly that provides for adjustable positioning of at least one of the side support pieces to permit a distance between the side pieces to be adjusted so that objects having different edge widths may be accommodated by the caster assembly.
The present invention is directed to a caster assembly for supporting an object.
In a first preferred embodiment of the caster assembly of the present invention, the caster assembly includes a caster wheel, a support member rotatably supporting the caster wheel and first and second side support pieces mounted on the support member. The support member includes a base support surface for engaging and supporting a bottom surface of the object to be supported. The first side support piece includes a first side support surface for engaging and supporting a first side surface of the object and the second side support piece includes a second side support surface for engaging and supporting a second side surface of the object, the first and second side support surfaces being transverse to the base support surface. At least one of the first and second side support pieces is slidably mounted on the support member and is adapted to be moved relative to the other side support piece to permit adjustment of a distance between the between the first and second side support surfaces to accommodate objects of different widths.
In a second preferred embodiment of the caster assembly of the present invention, the caster assembly includes a caster wheel, a caster support rotatably supporting the caster wheel, a support housing and first and second side support pieces mounted on the support housing. The support housing is rotatably affixed to the caster support to allow relative rotation between the caster wheel and the first and second side support pieces. The support housing includes a base support surface for engaging and supporting a bottom surface of an object to be supported. The first side support piece includes a first side support surface for engaging and supporting a first side surface of the object and the second side support piece includes a second side support surface for engaging and supporting a second side surface of the object, the first and second side support surfaces being transverse to the base support surface.
At least one of the first and second side support pieces is slidably mounted on the support housing and is adapted to be moved relative to the other side support piece to permit adjustment of a distance between the between the first and second side support surfaces to accommodate objects of different widths. Advantageously, the support housing includes a locking mechanism which may be engaged to prevent relative rotation between the support housing and the caster support.
The present invention also is directed to a method of supporting an object having a bottom surface and spaced apart first and second side walls extending upwardly from the bottom surface using a caster assembly that provides a variable distance between first and second side support surfaces of first and second side support pieces of the caster assembly. In an exemplary embodiment, the first step of the method includes: providing a caster assembly that includes a support member rotatably supporting the caster and first and second side support pieces mounted on the support member, the support member includes a base support surface for engaging and supporting a bottom surface of an object to be supported, the first side support piece includes a first side support surface for engaging and supporting a first side surface of the object and the second side support piece includes a second side support surface for engaging and supporting a second side surface of the object, the first and second side support surfaces being transverse to the base support surface and the second side support piece being slidably mounted on the support member for movement relative to the first side support piece.
The steps of the method further include: sliding the second side support piece such that a distance between the first and second side support surfaces is approximately equal to a distance between the first and second side walls of the object; and moving the caster assembly with respect to the object such that the base support surface engages and supports the bottom surface of the object and the first and second side support surfaces engage and support the first and second side walls of the object.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become better understood from a detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention which is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.